


Hey Batman

by puptart



Category: Zombies Run!
Genre: Agender Runner Five, Gen, Season 5 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 20:10:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7771468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/puptart/pseuds/puptart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>****MAJOR SEASON FIVE SPOILERS******</p><p>Runner Five takes a walk with Peter, but they remember someone else.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hey Batman

**Author's Note:**

> ******MAJOR SEASON FIVE SPOILERS BELOW*******
> 
> This was done for axcrazy on tumblr, who wanted Five to realize Peter = Simon, loosely inspired by this vine: https://vine.co/v/iEPjYzzUDV1
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Hiding in an underground secret government facility is not, shockingly enough, conducive to maintaining a regular running regimine. Even less conducive is the fact that Runner Five has a price on their head, and-- thanks to Sigrid-- one of the most recognizable faces in the UK. Letting Five run around where other people can spot them is incredibly risky, and only to be done when absolutely necessary.

Runner Five still begs Janine for runs whenever they can catch her around Noah Base. Twice they've been let down just today, and they're now stretching (sulking, according to Sam) on the floor of Sam's bedroom while he keeps up monitoring duty.

The move hasn't been easy on any of them, but Sam's always been made of hardier stuff than anyone Five knows. He's managed to adjust well enough to living in the bunker. Five still isn't sure where he managed to find the time to decorate his room to the extent that he has, though.

"Oi, Five! Think fast!"

Five flinches when something hits the back of their head, and they turn to see Peter in the doorway, looking down on them smugly. The paper ball he threw bounces off Sam's nightstand, and rolls to a stop near their foot.

"Hey," Sam complains, but Five waves him off before he can get too worked up, and he reluctantly settles back in his seat, eyes on the cams. To Peter, Five raises a questioning eyebrow.

"I'm getting a bit stir crazy. Fancy a walk around?" Peter asks, shifting his weight. Considering Five is feeling much the same, they nod, grabbing the wadded up ball of paper as they get to their feet. Peter bats it away when Five wings it at his face, leaving his ribs open for a playful punch. "Ow," he grouses.

Five huffs, and doesn't bother pointing out that, that was a love tap. They both know it, despite Peter rather theatrically rubbing at where he was hit. 

Once he's done being wounded, Peter leads them down the hallway, whistling merrily as he takes a seemingly random path through the base. The sound echoes down the long, concrete hallways. It's a tune to some half-remembered pop song that was popular on the radio just before the zombie outbreak, and Five finds themself humming along. 

For a walk inspired by boredom, Five feels unusually cheerful with Peter at their side. Despite the constant stream of pessimism and inappropriate, morbid jokes, Five finds themself smiling more often in his company. 

The whistling drops off with a sigh, and a hand comes to rest on Five's shoulder for a brief moment, before it's quickly snatched back. Five gives Peter a look, and he awkwardly tries to cover himself by reaching out again and patting Five's shoulder, as if that's what he'd meant to do all along.

That's another thing about Peter; he acts and feels so much like a friend that it seems like Five and Peter both forget that they're practically strangers to one another. It doesn't help that he now denies having ever told Five that they'd met previously. 

Hell, half the time Five wonders if they ought to be more suspicious of the man. The number of awkward lies they've caught him in alone should have them on edge, not to mention how he's been entirely too helpful for so little payoff. It wouldn't be the first time Five's dealt with a spy in their midst, after all.

Even with that possibility lingering in the back of their mind, Five finds they don't really believe it to be true. Peter is kind of an ass, but if they're being honest with themself, that's the opposite of a deterrent as far as they're concerned when it comes to making friends. They quite like Peter.

"Well!" Peter says loudly, clapping his hands together like he's about to start a guided tour. "I spy, with my little eye..."

"Is it concrete?" Five asks dryly, and Peter pouts.

"You didn't even let me finish," he complains, and Five winks. "Alright, no 'I Spy'. How about... a race?" 

Five perks up. The air around them, so stale before, suddenly buzzes with tension as they come to a stop, having just turned a corner. A long, empty hallway, far from the living quarters of the base, stretches out ahead of them. Peter sees their face and grins, wide and sharp. 

"I thought that might pique your interest," he says. Five shrugs, well aware that they're an easy read where running is involved. It's in their name, after all. "Alright, so the starting line will be this wall, the finish that wall down there."

Five squints, and eventually nods. It's not the  _longest_ sprint they've ever had. Plus, it's not often they find someone who can outpace them, and the one person who consistently ran circles around them is long dead, her ashes out to sea.

"Are we betting anything?" Five asks, feeling certain of their victory. Peter's eyes widen with glee.

"Oho, making it interesting, I see!" Peter slaps Five on the back. "Alright, if I win, you give me that container of banana protein powder you've been hoarding."

Five sucks in a breath through the teeth; that's a steep bet. They'd found it while on a run searching through a mechanic's garage to find wire strippers for Janine. It's not the best tasting stuff, but it does vaguely remind them of Sara's slapdash banana pancakes from back in the early days. The taste of home is a welcome respite.

"Alright," they agree, after a moment of consideration. "If I win, I want your firewood duty."

Peter crosses his arms, and gives Five a once over. A few months ago, firewood duty was nothing to fight over, but with so much time spent underground, they'll take any excuse to see the outside.

"Deal," he says. They shake hands on it, then step back to line their spines up against the wall. "I'll count us down."

It's just a silly, impromptu foot race, no different from the dozens Five had participated in before with the other runners. Even so, Five's heart is pounding in anticipation, blood rushing through their veins, muscles tightening.

"Three," Peter says, drawing the word out enticingly. Five does a few quick heel raises, then settles back against the wall.

"Two..."

It was better racing on the track back in Abel, where there were distance lines painted, and a surface they could actually get traction on.

"One..."

Five hasn't played like this with anyone since Simon died, over a year ago.

"Go!"

It's an awkward start, pushing off the wall, and Peter recovers his footing first, taking a huge lead ahead of Five, giggling as he goes. They grunt, competitiveness stoking a hot fire in their belly, and they push forward. Within just a few strides, they've lined up beside Peter. A few more, and Five grins wildly when Peter squawks as they overtake him, and it's easy sailing from there.

Hitting a wall at a dead sprint isn't fun, but Five's buzzing all over from their victory and barely minds it at all. Peter hits just as hard a moment later, but clearly feels it more keenly, given the sour twist of his mouth; then again, maybe that's just the fact that Five wiped the floor with him.

"Too slow, as usual, Simon!" Five crows, gulping down huge lungfuls of air, unable to stop grinning. 

"Sun was in my eyes," he replies, laughing between harsh pants, shoving at their arm, just like...

Just like old times.

Despite their body running hot from the race, Five feels like a bucket of ice water has just hit them square in the face, and several scattered puzzle pieces they hadn't even realized they'd been collecting suddenly fall into place.

At the same time, pure panic washes over Peter's face as he realizes his slip up.

"Wait, er," he swallows, still catching his breath. "I mean, what'd you call me?"

"Simon," Five says, taking a step forward. He takes a step back.

"Well, I have  _no_ idea who that is, but, uh, I'm Peter, remember?" He chuckles nervously, and Five snorts. "You must've hit that wall a little too hard."

"Don't be an idiot, Simon."

"You're the idiot- Wait, shit, no I mean-"

Five's eyes widen.

"No!" Simon jabs a finger at Five, but it's far too late to take anything back now.

"I  _knew_ it!" Five gasps, heart fluttering excitedly. 

"I'm Peter," he whines.

"Last name?" Five asks, eyebrow arched, arms crossed.

"Uh."

They wait, tapping their foot as he thinks.

"...Necropolis."

"Simon, you utter dick." Five shakes their head with a laugh. They can't stop grinning, elated to have their friend back, even if looks very different. A new face isn't much of a shock after the scales and eyes he used to have, though.

He's still babbling, scraping up some other bullshit excuse, when Five can't hold back anymore, and drags him forward by his shirt to crush him in a hug. For a moment he doesn't move at all before he finally brings his arms up around Five, squeezing hard enough that the air rushes out of their lungs. Five can't help but wonder how long it's been since someone touched him with affection, considering how hungry his grip feels, the way he's practically burrowing into them, despite his protestation.

"Didn't know we were so close, Runner Five," he says weakly, and Five squeezes him a little tighter. When they draw back, they scour Peter's face, looking for any trace of Simon's in the new features. "...I mean, we barely know each other! Just met a few months ago-"

Five silences him with a hand over his mouth, rolling their eyes. "Keep your secret, but stop the excuses." He stares at them for a long moment before nodding, and Five let's their hand fall.

"Thanks," Peter croaks, eyes a little red.

"Mm." Five thumps a fist on his chest. "I do want to talk about it. Tomorrow?"

"After you get back from your Abel infiltration?" Peter asks, and Five nods. He wets his lips, clearly conflicted, then says, "Yeah, alright."

Five gives him a wink and a nudge, then leads the way back to the living quarters. He may have lost the race, but Five still figures Simon deserves a 'Welcome Back' protein shake.

 

 


End file.
